[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 199 (Wednesday, December 21, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S9777]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


     
     
                              REMEMBERING WILL RAAP
     
        Mr. SANDERS. Madam President, I rise today to honor the Will 
     Raap, one of Vermont's most visionary leaders, who passed away on 
     December 12.
       Will was born in Fremont, CA, and spent time in Findhorn, Scotland, 
     where he met his future wife Lynette. Will and Lynette married in 1977 
     and, in 1981, moved to Vermont so Will could continue his work with the 
     Garden Way Company and Gardens for All. Two years later, Will cofounded 
     Gardener's Supply Company to enable everyone to experience the benefits 
     that come from gardens and gardening, including people with 
     disabilities, seniors, and beginning gardeners.
       From the earliest days of the company, Will's business model was 
     built around the ``triple bottom line'' of people, planet, and profits. 
     A clear example of his commitment to the people that made up Gardener's 
     Supply happened in these early years, when Will gave himself a pay cut 
     in order to give a valued data entry employee a raise. It was also in 
     these early years of Gardener's Supply that Will began transitioning 
     the company into an employee-ownership structure. This move was rooted 
     in his belief that everyone doing the work should share in the benefit, 
     not just those at the top. Will's investments in his employees, both on 
     the individual level and on the whole, have proven powerful and 
     successful. In 2009, Gardener's Supply reached 100-percent employee 
     ownership, and that young data entry employee, Cindy Turcot, is now 
     president and CEO of Gardener's Supply and has become a national leader 
     of employee ownership.
       Never short of energy, ideas, or vision, in 1987 Will brought his 
     passion for improving community, agriculture, and the environment to an 
     aging dairy farm and an unofficial landfill in the heart of Vermont's 
     largest city of Burlington. As mayor of Burlington at this time, I was 
     glad to work with Will on this important effort. During this time, Will 
     came to us in city government to request a $7,000 loan to buy a tractor 
     and start a municipal yard and food waste composting project managed by 
     Gardener's Supply employees. To get this much-needed project off the 
     ground, Will and volunteers cleaned up the neglected piece of land and 
     turned it into what is now known as the Intervale Center. Today, the 
     Intervale is national model for urban agriculture, food access, and 
     local food system development and successful partnerships between for-
     profit and non-profit organizations. It is also a great recreational 
     resource for the Old North End and the entire greater Burlington area. 
     It is home to Vermont's largest community supported agriculture--CSA--
     farm, a tree nursery, a food hub and distribution center, community 
     gardens, hiking trails, event spaces, and a number of established farm 
     enterprises.
       Will was also a driving force behind Vermont's innovative Farm-to 
     Plate initiative, as well as the Vermont Dairy/Water Quality 
     Collaborative. Most recently, Will worked to turn an iconic failed 
     dairy farm in Charlotte, VT, into an entirely new way to think about 
     agriculture in our State. Using the farm's land and facilities, Will 
     created Earthkeep Farmcommon and the Earthkeep Farmers Collective. 
     Today, the former dairy farm is being used by young entrepreneurs to 
     grow and malt grains, raise shrimp, grow berries, make carbonated 
     beverages, and produce baked goods, to name just a few of the 
     businesses in operation there.
       Will's lifetime of accomplishments reflected his style of thinking 
     big and his ability to surround himself with teams that were eager to 
     make those big ideas a reality. Will Raap represents the best of 
     Vermont's entrepreneurial spirit. There is no doubt that Will will be 
     remembered as a force for good and a leader whose lasting mark on 
     Vermont will be not about himself, but about all those whose lives have 
     been made better for his vision.
       All Vermonters can honor Will's memory by asking his three favorite 
     questions: ``What's next?'' ``How can we make a difference?'' and, 
     ``Are we doing enough?'' Vermont is a better place and Vermonters are 
     better off thanks to Will Raap's many contributions.
     
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